Method and device for manufacturing composite products comprising a planar portion

A method of manufacturing a composite profile having a non-circular cross section, comprising the steps of

• actuating a string of mandrel sections having a non-circular cross section to move axially in a one way motion through one or more orbital winding stations that are rotationally disposed about to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel in one or more passes,
• continuously helically winding in one or more winding stations thermoplastic unidirectional tape (UD tape) comprising a bundle of parallel longitudinally extending fibers in a thermoplastic matrix material onto the mandrel sections or a previously wound layer with the parallel longitudinally extending fibers of the UD tape of a particular helically wound layer lying at a single helical angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel to form at least two layers of a wall of a thin walled profile having a closed cross section including at least one planar surface, and
• cutting the thin walled profile into profile sections that are carried on one or more mandrel sections,
• wherein the thermoplastic unidirectional tape (UD tape) is heated and pressed onto the mandrel sections or a previously wound layer before a subsequent layer of UD tape is laid, so that a layer is consolidated with a previously wound layer prior to application of a subsequent layer wherein each layer of the thermoplastic unidirectional tape (UD tape) is consolidated with a previous layer by the heating and pressing prior to cutting so that after cutting the profile sections can be handled without loss of integrity;
• and
• re-passing each cut profile section carried on one or more mandrel sections with at least one wound layer thereon through the one or more winding stations at least once.

A device for manufacturing a composite profile having a non-circular cross section, comprising:

• a string of mandrel sections having a non-circular cross section that is arranged to move axially in a one way motion through one or more orbital winding stations that are rotationally disposed about to the longitudinal axis of the string of mandrel sections in one or more passes, the one or more orbital winding stations being arranged to continuously helically wind thermoplastic unidirectional tape (UD tape) comprising a bundle of parallel longitudinally extending fibers in a thermoplastic matrix material onto the mandrel sections or a previously wound layer to form layers of a wall of a thin walled profile having a closed, non-circular cross section with the parallel longitudinally extending fibers of a particular helically wound layer of the UD tape lying in a single helical angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel and to heat the thermoplastic unidirectional tape (UD tape) and press it onto the mandrel sections or a previous layer as it is laid, so that each orbital winding station is arranged to consolidate a layer onto a previously wound layer, wherein each layer of the thermoplastic unidirectional tape (UD tape) is consolidated with a previous layer by the heating and pressing prior to cutting so that after cutting the profile sections can be handled without loss of integrity;
• and
• a cutter, downstream from the winding stations, to cut the profile into profile sections that are carried on one or more mandrel sections,
• wherein the string of mandrel sections is configured so that each cut profile section carried on one or more mandrel sections with at least one wound layer thereon is returned to the string of mandrel sections to pass through the one or more winding stations at least once.

A device for manufacturing a composite profile having a non-circular cross section, comprising:

• a string of mandrel sections having a non-circular cross section that is arranged to move axially in a one way motion through one or more orbital winding stations that are rotationally disposed about to the longitudinal axis of the string of mandrel sections in one or more passes, the one or more orbital winding stations being arranged to continuously helically wind thermoplastic unidirectional tape (UD tape) comprising a bundle of parallel longitudinally extending fibers in a thermoplastic matrix material onto the mandrel sections or a previously wound layer to form layers of a wall of a thin walled profile having a closed, non-circular cross section with the parallel longitudinally extending fibers of the UD tape of a particular helically wound layer lying in a single helical angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel, and to heat the thermoplastic unidirectional tape (UD tape) and press it onto the mandrel sections or a previous layer prior to application of a subsequent layer, so that each orbital winding stations is arranged to consolidate a layer onto a previously wound layer before application of a subsequent layer, wherein each layer of the thermoplastic unidirectional tape (UD tape) is consolidated with a previous layer by the heating and pressing prior to cutting so that after cutting the profile sections can be handled without loss of integrity, and
• a cutter, downstream from the winding stations, to cut the profile into profile sections that are carried on one or more mandrel sections,
• wherein the string of mandrel sections is configured so that each cut profile section carried on one or more mandrel sections with at least one wound layer thereon is returned to the string of mandrel sections to pass through the one or more winding stations at least once.